The Tigers have failed to win any of their last three home games
Ryan Giles shows his frustration after Daniel Bennie scored QPR’s winning goal(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Sergej Jakirovic admits he might be forced to change his approach in a bid to kickstart Hull City’s season, which has hit the buffers in the past few games.
A third disappointing home league performance on the spin saw City beaten 3-1 by QPR on Saturday, as the visitors claimed just a second away win in 11 trips.
City have now lost their last three home games, conceding 10 goals. While that run includes the FA Cup loss to Chelsea, the trend of three MKM Stadium outings without a win is bothering Jakirovic.
The Croatian admitted he was angry with the way his side plodded around, gifting possession to Rangers, who gleefully scored three and should have had more against a City performance littered with errors.
City spent much of the game passing aimlessly between their goalkeeper and defenders, lacking any great invention, and Jakirovic says he must try to resolve the issues before his side face play-off rivals Derby County on Tuesday night.
“Maybe it’s a lack of making the right decision, I don’t know,” he told Hull Live. “Maybe you don’t believe in your teammates, maybe if you give him the ball it’s easier always to play backwards to Ivor, but what will Ivor do with this ball?
“He will kick to the front, and when it’s in the air, it’s fifty-fifty. In challenging for the first and second balls, we were very poor. Maybe we must change our style of play. Especially on this pitch.”
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Expectations have naturally risen given how well City have done this season, and Jakirovic says so have his, and he expects as much as anyone, but admits some players are struggling to find their levels after injury.
City’s head coach does admit that he must find the answers, in a bid to stop the Tigers’ first real slump of the season: “Maybe this is our maximum,” he continued. “You cannot go up all the time. We must find a way. I must find a way. I think that everyone sees that we are struggling with those players who are just coming back from injury. They cannot find the real rhythm like before their injury.
“The expectations are high. I’m always expecting something from my players, especially when they were in the first 11 before their injuries; now we are struggling there. We don’t have time for anything because we have our next game on Tuesday.”
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